Teachers, public express disappointment in school administration

PALMER -- Stress levels rose last week when more than 150 community members and teachers attended Wednesday's school board meeting; the 20 or so who spoke at the meeting expressed concerns about labor negotiations, crowded classrooms, under-qualified administration, cut electives and the school board as a whole. Below are some examples of some of the statements made at the Sept. 17 meeting:

Beverly Erbey: "Why are teachers and principals working without a contract? Why are fully qualified employees fired because they are not 'team players'? Why wasn't there a search for a fully qualified person for the position of superintendent?"

Laura Wick: "I have 31 fourth-graders, 38 in my math class. How can I possibly accommodate all their needs? You have forced me to lower my expectations. I depend on you to make the right decisions for our children."

Lisa Brayton: "I realize raising the pupil-teacher-ratio was an attempt to save money, but it is not working."

Ron Arvin: "Our public representatives are giving an askew view."

Dean Meili: "Aren't we as teachers and principals the most valuable resource the district has? Where is our support? You cannot buy quality education with peanuts."

Katie Mangelsdorf "Direct the administration to hire back the P.E. teachers who are vital to educating our children."

Ed Clawson: "Some of the non-tenured teachers are afraid to be here … This will be a lot easier to swallow when we are treated like professionals and people."

Dee McKee: "Am I qualified to teach two periods of Spanish? No, I'm just one step ahead of the kids. If President Bush found out about this, I think I'd be in trouble … Imagine, we've got new automatic flush toilets when we are telling people we don't have any money."

Sara Knighton: "We are representing concerned students. The classrooms are over-full, we want more electives."

Donna Ongersoll; "Without music, without gym, kids can't learn to read."